Liveblog: Apple unveils new software lineup at WWDC 2017

Apple’s 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off in just a few short hours, and rumors indicate we could be in for the iPhone-maker’s most action-packed keynote in years.

Not only is Apple expected to unveil iOS 11, macOS 10.13, tvOS 11 and watchOS 4, but today’s event could also showcase some fresh new hardware. Cult of Mac will be here to liveblog all the festivities with up-to-the-minute analysis on all the new software, hardware and more.

Tim Cook and company take the stage today at 10 a.m. Pacific in San Jose, California, but we’ll be kicking off the fun a little early. Come join the action!

A six-microphone array is used for voice input, allowing you to speak to the HomePod from across the room, even if music is playing. There’s a glowing light on the top, but no screen for a visual interface, everything is done through Siri.

HomePod packs an A8 processor, making it the smartest speaker on the market. Thanks to spatial awareness tech, HomePod can detect what type of room you’re in and then adapt its sound output so that music sounds perfect in the room.

Handwriting is now searchable. Inline drawing is an option when creating notes. When you’re using the Notes app and lock your device, a quick tap on the screen with Apple Pencil will take you directly into the Notes app.

iOS 11 comes with a new app called Files that brings together all the files on your iPad. It supports all sorts of different organization methods. It even supports third-party apps like Dropbox and Google Drive.

The new iPads feature 10 hour battery life and the same camera sensor found on the iPhone 7 (sorry, no dual-lens camera here.) The front-facing camera is 7MP and has auto image stabilization. IT also supports USB 3 file transfers and faster charging.

Both iPad Pro sizes are getting new displays with True Tone and are 50% brighter with 600 nits of brightness. HDR Video is supported. There’s also a new feature called ProMotion that increases the display refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz so videos look super smooth.

ARKit looks amazing. Will be cool to see how quickly developers start adopting it for their apps. The demo of Craig putting a coffee cup and lamp on a table wasn’t that impressive, but Wingnut AR looks so cool!

“We have a new core technology called ARKit,” Federighi says. It will allow developers to deliver all kinds of awesome augmented reality features to their apps and games. Federighi is developing a simple app that lets you insert objects into the real world with your iPhone.

A new “Today” tab will highlight new titles that have just hit the App Store, and those promoted by Apple. Games now have a dedicated tab where you’ll find the latest and greatest titles, and for the first time, Apple will be promoting in-app purchases when new content drops.

iOS 11’s lock screen and Notification Center have also been merged. You can swipe up while your device is locked to see all of your outstanding notifications — not just those that have appeared since you last locked your device.

Federighi is now demonstrating big improvements to Control Center. We now have new sliders to adjust brightness and volume, and 3D Touch support that lets you access even more controls by pressing on your iPhone’s display.

iOS 11 is also bringing improved low-light performance to iPhone 7 Plus, while Apple’s Depth API is opening up to third-party developers, so you’ll be able to enjoy those dual cameras outside of Apple’s own Camera app.

We’re starting with Messages, which boasts a redesigned app drawer in iOS 11. We’re also getting Messages in iCloud, which will sync all of your conversations to new iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches when you upgrade.

Apple’s updating the iMac displays so they’re brighter. Intel Kaby Lake processors are being added inside. There’s also some new super-fast Fusion drives. Three USB-C connectors are being added to the back.

It’s insanely fast and brings a 10x improvement on draw call throughput which will make graphics on the Mac way better. Metal is also being used for machine learning. It’s also going to be available for external graphics, letting you connect a GPU to your Mac video Thunderbolt.

The Photos app is getting some big enhancements. There’s a bunch of new editing tools like curves and selective color. All of your edits sync to your photo library so it works well with third-party apps like Photoshop.

Apple’s also opening its Photos printing feature to third-parties so you have more options to see your prints in the physical world.

Next up: Refinements to Mail. Search is now using Spotlight for better results, and there’s a split view that lets you see your inbox and a message you’re composing side-by-side when using fullscreen mode.

A new addition to the Workout app in watchOS 4 means you can enjoy music playlists that automatically start when you begin a new workout. You’ll also find handy playback controls within the Workout app itself, so you don’t have to leave to pause or switch tracks.

Apple Watch will communicate with gym equipment now with watchOS 4. Devices that support the feature will let your watch connect to the gym’s machine so that it can share data. The feature will be rolling out this Fall.

The Workout app has been revamped to be more powerful. You can now open the app and start a workout with one tap. There’s a new rest feature that pauses swimming workouts. High Intensity Interval Training is now natively supported in the Exercise app too.

watchOS 4 comes with a new kaleidoscope watch face too. You can create different styles for the face based off pictures in your iPhone’s Camera Roll. There are also new Toy Story faces featuring Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear.

Kevin Lynch is up with all the watchOS 4 features. The update makes the watch more personal with new watch faces. Siri is becoming a more pro-active assistant and it powers a new watch faces that display important information throughout the day using machine learning.

The keynote starts in 30 minutes and is expected to go over 2 hours. There’s a ton of stuff to cover just on the software side so this isn’t that surprising. Apple usually tries to keep the keynote between 90 and 120 minutes.

We've been told to expect the #WWDC17 keynote to last over two hours. #numbbum

Apple accidentally revealed another big iOS 11 feature ahead of today’s keynote. The Feedback app on iOS mentions a new “Split View/Drag and Drop” option. This is one of our most wanted features for iOS 11, so it sounds like Apple has a lot of productivity features coming down the pipeline.

Earlier today a placeholder for a new Files app was found in the App Store. The app isn’t available for download yet, but it says it requires iOS 11.

Developers have been lined up outside the convention center for hours this morning. We’re about 1.5 hours away from showtime, but it looks like Apple is already starting to let some of the crowd wait inside before the main auditorium is open.

Apple always gives WWDC attendees a jacket and other swag. This year’s might be the coolest yet. It’s a black denim jacket with a simple WWDC 17 logo above one of the pockets. A set of pins were also given out with each attendee getting a special pin of their home country’s flag.

There are just under three hours to go until Apple execs take the stage. One of the key announcements from today has already been leaked though: A new File management app for iOS! This is exactly what we’ve been wishing for for years.

This year we’re doing something a little bit different and adding some Sketchnotes to our WWDC 2017 coverage. Our friend Andy McNally will be busting out wonderful drawings that encapsulate all the details of Apple’s announcements.